Receptacle closure



Dec. 4, 1945. 's BL C A 2,390,291

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed June 15, 1942 INVENTOR. STA/WU BZAC/(MLW' BY Patented Dec. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Stanley B lackman, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June 15, 1942, Serial No. 447,011

3 Claims.

This invention relates to receptacle closures. More particularly the invention pertains to nonmetallic closures of formed sheet material for bottles, jars and the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a strong, tight closure of the character described which may be efiectively used to replace the metal caps now commonly employed for this purpose. Another object of my invention is to provide a closure of the character described which is simple and economical to manufacture and which may be made from inexpensive and readily obtainable materials.

A further object of my invention is to provide a closure of the character described having improved means for sealing the receptacle against tampering.

Still another object of my invention is toprovid a closure .of the character described in which the means for sealing the receptacle against tampering and the means for detachably closing the. receptacle are connected in a simple fashion and inexpensive manner by an integral portion of the receptacle closure.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention, and in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a bottle having attached thereto a receptacle closure embodying my invention;

Fig, 2 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2; and i Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the receptacle closure itself.

Referring now to the drawing, I have there disclosed a receptacle closure l embodying my invention and adapted to be used in conjunction with a bottle ll of standard design. Said bottle includes a body portion l4 suitably constructed to house a plurality of small articles such, for example, as medicinal capsules. Access to the bottle is had through-a mouth 16, which is provided on its external surface with an integral, moulded, male screw thread I8 of the type commonly employed in this art. One or more transverse dimensions of the mouth may be smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the body M which may taper at 20 toward the mouth in the usual manner.

The receptacle closure [0 comprises an upper capping part 22, including a crown 24 and downwardly dependent, annular rim 26. The rim is provided with a thread 28 adapted to mesh with the male thread l8 on the bottle mouth I6. Dependingfrom the lower edge of the capping portion 22 are two diametrically opposed tabs 30 of any desired contour. Along the line of juncture between said tabs 30 and the capping portion 22, the receptacle closure is weakened, as for example, by a row of perforations 32. The inner face of each tab 30 is coated with a layer 34 of adhesive which will strongly bond to glass, paper, resin condensates, and similar substances from which the receptacle closure and the bottle are fabricated.

The receptacle closure In is fabricated from nonmetallic sheet material which lends itself readily to forming by standard methods such as, for example, press moulding. Such materials include thick fibrous sheets such as paper heavily loaded with sizing, which may com-prise paraffin, resin, vegetable wax, or the like, so that the sheet can be rendered highly pliable during a forming operation by the application of heat and will rigidify in its formed shape. I may alternatively use substances such as synthetic resins of the phenol or urea formaldehyde condensation or other types, cellulose acetate, etc. in lieu of the heavy treated paper. In general this material from which the receptacle closure is formed is characterized by its imperviousness to moisture, its chemical inertness to the materials contained within the receptacle, and its ability to become softened by heat or chemical softening agents. The material should also have strength and durability sufficient to resist breakage during the handling incident to capping, shipping and storage of the receptacle.

The receptacle closure may be made by cutting from a sheet of such material a blank, including a central portion and two radially extending wings. The central portion may be inserted in a press mould whose male and female portions are matingly threaded and provided with a suitable means for heating the same, for example steam. If a sheet of the above described material is inserted in a heated screw moulded press of this type a cap having a crown and a threaded rim may readily be formed. Before or after the screw moulding operation the rows of perforations 32 may be punched between the wings and central blank.

When attaching a receptacle closure H] to a bottle, the tabs 30 are raised slightly so as to of a slight degree of heat or a softening agentand pressure, that they will conform to the underlying contour of the bottle. Finally the adhesive 34 is wetted or otherwisetreated"to-ren-- der the same capable of sticking to the bottle. It will be understood that, if desired, the recep taole closure may be prepared without a layer 34 of adhesive-on the tabs-30,- and-that instead a suitable adhesive may be introduced between the tabs and the bottle-after the receptacle closure has been applied. Once the adhesive has set, the receptacle closure can not be tampered-with without leaving visible evidence that the bottle has been opened.

7 Due to the fact that the' receptacle closureand bottle must i-be relatively= rotated to remove the capping portion .22 from the .bottle mouth and to the fact that the rows of perforations 32 lie normal to the axis of said calppingportion, the material intermediate to the perforations 32 will shear when a torque is applied to open the bottle; The size and relative spacing of the perforations is.:so selected that withthe particular material employed' in the bottle closure the torque necessary to break the capping portion 22 away from the tabs30 is large enough to prevent accidental opening of the bottle. 7 V

A'liner 36 of any type known'to the; art-may b'e provided to underlie the crown 24 of the bottle closure.

It will thus be seen that there is'provided a device and method formaking the samein which the object of this invention is achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

AS: various: possible embodiments; might be made of theabove invention, and"as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to bennderstood that all matter herein set forthorshown inthe accompanying Said tabs may now be so drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A self-form-maintaining receptacle closure which is adapted to be screwed on a receptacle having a threaded neck, said closure comprising a crown, a rim having a screw thread formed therein which is adapted to engage the threaded neck, an integral self-form-maintaining deformableportion depending from an edge portion of the rim, said deformable portion being adapted to be caused to closely follow the contour of the portion of the receptacle beneath the threaded neck andfl to be permanently and rigidly adhesively secured thereto, and a weak portion intermediate said rim and said depending portion, which weak portion is adapted to be sheared when a torque is applied to rotate th closure for removing same from the receptacle.

2; A I self-form-maintaininga receptacle closure which is adapted to be screwed on a-r'eceptacle having a threaded neck, said closure-comprising a crown, a rim having; a screw thread formed therein which is adapted toengagethe threaded neck, an integral self-form-maintaining,deform? abl portion. depending from an' edge portion of the rim, said deformable portionbeingadapted to be caused to closely-follow the contour'of the portion. of the receptacle beneath the threaded neck, the surface of said depending portion which faces the receptacle being: coated with adhesive so that said portion can be rigidly. and pe'rma nently secured to thegreceptaclean'd a=Weak-.p'ortion intermediate'said. rim -and said depending portion, which weak portion is" adapted. to be sheared When a torque is applied to rotate the closure forremoving same from the receptacle;-

3. Incombination, a receptacle having.v a threaded neck and a self form-maintaining closure for said receptacle, said closure comprising a: crown, a threaded'rim, an integral'selfi-form maintaining deformable portion dependingifr'om an edge of the rim, said portion beingdeforind to closelyfollow the contour of a portion 'of the receptacle beneath the threaded neck thereofand being rigidly-and permanently; adhesively secured to said receptacle portion, and'a weak: portion on said-closure intermediate said-rim and said de= pending portion, which weak portion-isadapted to be sheared when atorqueis applied-to" rotate the closure for removingz-same from the "recepttacle. v

STANLEY 

